ReinXeed: 1912

Melodic Power Metal

3.0/5.0

If anything Tommy Johansson and ReinXeed are prolific; 1912 is their second album in less than nine months. The heirs to the Scandinavian melodic power metal throne long held by Stratovarius and Hammerfall seem able to crank out tunes with ease and abandon. And this could be the inherent problem with this work.

Certainly, 1912 finds ReinXeed well into their metal groove. You can't dispute the strength of their music: melodic, symphonic, and fast paced power metal with layers of keyboards and huge guitar solos. It's a power metal lovers wet dream. But ultimately that's all 1912 is: a huge platter of conventional European power metal. There's little variation or inspiration here. Where ReinXeed found their place on last year's Majestic, now the seem happy to merely manufacture power metal songs like punching out metal widgets on an assembly line. They are dangerously close to becoming an parody or caricature of themselves, and even closer to being dismissed as another exaggeration of the genre. All this in nine months and one work.

Nevertheless, for melodic power metal in its most bombastic glory, ReinXeed's 1912 is the thing. And I still can't pronounce the band's name.

In Short

Reinxeed's 1912 a power metal lovers wet dream. But ultimately that's all it is: a huge platter of conventional European power metal.